Crawford supports new flopping initiative

Calling an NBA game is already tough enough. As such, veteran official Danny Crawford said he has no problem with the new penalty structure for flopping that puts all the enforcement onus on the league office.

Some players had called for offenders to be immediately punished with technical fouls. But sanctions for flopping — defined by the NBA as “any physical act that appears to have been intended to cause the referees to call a foul on another player” — will instead by meted out following review by the league office.

“I actually love the system because we have no involvement at all,” said Crawford, about to begin his 28th season as an NBA official. “To put us in the position to have to call a technical foul, that’s more work for us. So I actually love the approach that they’re taking where it’s a league office review. We’re totally out of the mix with that.”

Crawford said members of the Spurs, with whom he and his crew for Friday’s preseason game against Denver met earlier in the day, were “shocked” to hear that officials won’t be required to mention any candidates for review in their post-game reports. In fact, Crawford said the officials weren’t even consulted on how the system, which features a increasing flight of fines and potential suspensions, would be implemented.

“I think it’s going to make the game cleaner,” he said. “It will make our job a little easier. It will still be a tough job.”

Crawford met with the media before Friday’s game to review a DVD highlighting points of emphasis for the upcoming season, including illegal screens, freedom of movement and the devilish block/charge conundrum.

He also went over several rules changes:

* Instant replay reviews for all flagrant fouls.

* A 90-second limit for pregame rituals (i.e., chalk tosses) after the lights go up from player introductions, with violations resulting in delay-of-game warnings.

* Instant replay will be used on any goal tends and restricted area fouls during the final two minutes of regulation and overtime.

* Bench decorum — i.e., charging, waving or other acts of distraction — will be enforced when opponents are in the act of shooting in front of the opposing bench.